Car-coupling



C. W. GILLESPIE;

No. 593,840. Patented NOV. 16, 1897.

I ll uummlll UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.'

CHARLES W. GILLESPIE, OF SANYANGELO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE HUNT- INGTONAUTOMATIORAILWAY OAR COUPLER COMPANY, OF TEXAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,840, dated November16, 1897.

vApplication filed March 2 9, 1 8 9 7.

To all whom t may concern;

Beit known thatI, CHARLES W. GILLESPIE, a citizenof the United States,residing at San Angelo, in the county of Tom Green and State of Texas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to automatic car-couplers, and 'more particularlyto that class known as swing-pin couplers,in which provision is made foroperating the pin from the top or side of a car to uncouple the same,and also provided with a specially-formed swingpin adapted to bear uponthe link and hold it horizontally or at an incline. Heretofore it hasbeen found difficult to provide a sufficiently strong coupler of thisclass, owing to the large recess required in the draw-head to accommodate the swing-pin, especially as the pin must be provided either withrearward or side exv tensions to obtain the necessary bearing upon thelink. Again, it has generally been found necessary to make two or moreopenings or perforations in the draw-head for the necessaryconnections-one for pivoting said pin in the recess, bringing one ofthese openings near the mouth of the draw-head, making it liable tofracture, and the other for connecting means to operate the swing-pinand guide the link, generally made through the top of the draw-head,which exposes its interior to rain and ice. Again,in this class ofcouplers in order to protect the pivotal connection of the swing-pin theentire pulling strain is thrown upon one wall of the draw-head. Theobject of my invention is to provide a strong and durable'coupler ofthis class closed at the top and having no openings in its walls, withthe exception of a small slot in its sides removed from the mouth of thedrawhead, through which access is obtained for manipulating the pin andlink.

It is also my object to reduce the size of the recess for holding theswing-pin, using. one and the same means for hanging and uncoupling thepin and holding and guiding the link. l

.It is also my object to simplify the con- Serial lloI 629,788. (Nomodel.)

i struction and operation of the parts and give better and more directcontrol of the swingpin and means for holding and directing the link.

It is also my object to distribute the pull upon the swing-pin betweenthe upper and I lower walls of the draw-head.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a box-car, showing mycoupler attached; and Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is asideelevation of the coupler, partly in section. Fig. 4 is a horizontalsection taken on the line44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of theswing-pin.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A denotes a car, and B thedraw-head.

In Figs. 3 and 4, C denotes a recess in the draw-head, the Walls ofwhich conform to the shape and size of the swing-pin and allow for itsfree movement to engage the link. The upper wall of this recess slantsdownwardly, and its side walls are vertical. In the lower wall of theinterior of the draw-head is provided a V-shaped cavity c, adapted toreceive the lower end of the swing-pin. The mouth of the draw-head hasthe usual iare at the top and sidesg but the lower portion has a deeperand more abrupt flare to admit of manipulatin'gthe link to betteradvantage in coupling cars having draw-heads of unequal height, ashereinafter described.

As shown in Fig. 3, the upper wall of the recess C at its forward end isreinforced bya ledge c', which extends partly under the upper end of theswing-pin and serves to pre` vent said end from dropping down. Thisreinforcement is also designed to strengthen the draw-head at thispoint. D D denote two curvilinear slots in opposite sides of thedrawhead, arranged near its rear end. E denotes the swing-pin, having aperfora tion near its lower end, through which passes hanger-bar F. Theends of said bar also pass through the slots D D and project uponopposite sides of the draW-headabout six or eight inches, where they areconnected to suitable means for operating the swing-pin and link fromthe side of a car, as hereinafter described. The perforation in theswing -pin registers with the slots cut in the side of the draw-head,

IOO

and the slots are of suihcient length to allow the lower end of theswing-pin to rise a suficient dist-ance to admit the passage of the linkunder it and also when the link has passed under or is withdrawn toadmit the lower end of the pin to bear in the V-shaped cavity. Theposition of the perforation in the swing-pin is such that thehanger-bar, and through it the weight of the swing-pin, will bear uponeach side of the link when itis in place. Thus the weight of theswing-pin is utilized to hold the link in a horizontal position. Theabrupt flare given the lower wall of the mouth of the draw-head isutilized for tilting the outer end of the link up or down to meetdraw-heads of dierent elevation. When it is desired to lower the outerend of the link, the hangerbar is raisedthus releasing the inner end ofthe link from the weight of the swing-pin, allowing it to rise and itsouter end to tilt downwardly. It will be seen that my arrangement of theswing-pin avoids any pull on the hanger-bar and that the pull upon theswingpin is evenly distributed between the upper and lower Walls of thedraw-head.

In Figs. l and 2 I have shown means for connecting the han ger-bar tothe side of a car, consisting of a rock-shaft G, extending across theend of a car, provided with crank-handles and near its center havingrigidly secured a crank-arm H .I denotes a chain connecting one end ofthe hanger-bar to the free end of said arm. Other means may be used foroperating the hanger-bar and extensions may be made lfor connectingoperating means upon the roof of the car.

Having shown and described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a car-coupler of the class described, the combination of thedraw-head, having curvilinear slots near its rear end upon oppositesides, and a swing-pin provided with a bar F near its lower end passingthrough said slots adapted to bear upon and hold the link in positionfor coupling, and means for operating said bar.

2. In a car-coupler of the class described, the combination of thedraw-head having a ledge c in the upper portion of its mouth,curvilinear slots upon opposite sides near the rear end of the draw-bar,and a swing-pin having its upper end resting upon said ledge, its lowerend provid ed with a han ger-bar passing through said slot and means foroperating said bar.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES lV. GILLESPIE.

XVitnesses:

E. A. HARTMAN, J. B. PRICE.

